chapter 8
/////
Hello people! I actually never expected this fic (or any if my fics really) to get more than thirty kudos at most! This is INSANE! Thankyou <3
—-
^^^PETER^^^^^
Peter skillfully slipped through his window, barely making a sound.
After removing his suit, replying to any missed texts from Ned, Grabbing an after patrol snack, Peter allowed his mind to process what had happened back in the alley.
Leo didn’t seem like the thug type. The whole situation left Peter’s mind blanking for answers. Because, the question still stood. What. The. Heck??
The events played over on repeat, like watching a grade schooler play a scene of their favorite movie ten times in a row to get the thrill over again.
What was the dog? Was it even a dog? What was Leo doing? Why did the dog-thing explode like a piñata into golden flakes? Why did Leo act like it was a casual Sunday afternoon? What is Peter missing?
Something about what Leo said bothered Peter. Well everything about the situation bothered Peter, but this one thing in particular.
Leo mentioned how Peter had no ‘proof’ that Leo hammered the dog into golden bits. Did Leo assume Spiderman didn’t have recordings?
Wait, Recordings! That’s it!
Peter rushed to his suit and pulled the mask over his head, ruffling his hair as it slid into place.
“Hello Peter”
“Hey Karen, can you replay the last ten minutes before I ended patrol?”
Peter let his AI load the footage as he sat in his chair at his desk, spinning idly as he waited.
Upon seeing the footage appear on his screen inside the mask, Peter reeled his attention in to focus on the video, pausing his spinning motion as he watched.
Huh…this was…not what Peter expected.
The screen was blurry, blanking out at seemingly random intervals. Leo’s hammer was blurry and the dog thing was just a regular large Black Labrador. It almost looked like Leo was just playing with the dog.
When the dog was blown to golden bits, Instead in the video it just flickered and vanished after a moment of blurry hesitation.
Was something wrong with the lenses? No, that couldn’t possibly be it.
Peter grumbled as he ruffled his hair beneath his fingers in frustration.
*ding*
Peter side-eyed his phone for daring to interrupt his very important mental/existential crisis.
Sighing, Peter accepted his fate to have to reply to whomever texted him.
Seeing as it was just Ned asking for help on one of the school projects, Peter sent a quick reply and then rested his head on his desk, using his arms as a pillow.
“Hey Karen, send this footage to ‘Mister Stark.”
If anyone could find out what was up with the video, it was Mr. Stark.
“Peter, I am now informing you that the time is 12:42 a.m. Sleep is heavily recommended as you have school tomorrow.”
Ah right, it was pretty late and Peter was exhausted from his patrol.
And while Peter is at school, he might be able to get some hints from Leo.
Slowly drudging his head up from his frankly horrible posture, Peter quickly changed into softer pajamas and curled up his bed, wrapping a fluffy comforting around himself.
\\
^^^^PETER POV^^^^^
The Next day, Peter dragged his tired body through his morning routine, grabbing a light breakfast with some coffee.
The morning air was chilly as it clung to his skin. Peter huffed as he quickened his pace across the street heading to his school. Being tired, cold, and having a mystery hanging on his conscious was starting to annoy him. Mostly the cold, why did it have to be so cold?
Ever since the spider-bite, the cold got so much more irritating, it chilled his bones quicker, and it took him longer to warm up without an outside heat source. Peter hypothesized that since most breeds of spiders are cold-blooded, Peter’s heat regulation might be screwed up due to the bite’s influence. Guess not all side effects of a radioactive spider bite will be convenient.
Finally, Peter made his way through the front doors of his school after jogging up the unnecessary amount of steps.
The warm blast of heated air welcomed Peter as he closed the building’s door behind himself. Thank goodness the school actually had heat this year…
Glancing at his phone to check the time, Peter decided he had a bit of time to socialize before heading towards class. Apparently he wasnt as late as he originally thought he was, and his faster pace to get out of the cold had only quickened his walk to school.
Readjusting the backpack strap on his shoulder to be more comfortable, Peter headed towards where Ned and Leo and himself usually hung out before class.
Bingo
Ned seemed like his usual self, watching something on his phone as he stood next to Leo.
Peter glanced at Leo and spotted his dark chocolate brown hair that looked a little more unruly than usual. Leo also had slightly dark circles under his eyes and his mouth was set in a slight frown. Even his eyes were slightly glazed over.
Overall, fairly different than his usual greeting of some sarcastic smirk or funny sarcasm.
Slowing his steps as he got closer to the duo, Peter let a frown slip onto his face as he became more concerned.
Ned glanced up, gave a slight wave and started to excitedly explain a new meme he found or something of the such. Peter didn’t get a whole lot of information out of the one sided conversation as his attention kept leaking back to Leo.
The kid didn’t even seem to register his presence.
Soon, enough time had passed for the bell to go off signaling class was about to start.
Ned quickly said his ‘see you laters’ and turned to jog to his first class.
Peter’s current frown only deepened as Leo flinched at the bell’s ringing, only to close his eyes and let out a shuddering breath.
Slowly, as not to startle Leo, (the very clear memory of yesterday’s encounter with Leo replayed distantly in his mind), Peter set his hand on Leo’s shoulder, jolting him from his slight dissociative state. So much for not startling him.
Leo flinched heavily under the touch, jolting back and bringing one hand up to grab Peter’s wrist, and the other hand went to the pocket of his tool belt. Peter could swear he saw the edge of a hammer’s handle peak out the top of the pocket.
Peter stared into Leo’s dark molasses eyes, recognition flashed in them and Leo quickly dropped Leo’s hand and pulled his other hand out of his tool belt.
“Oh, Peter, Hey, er, didn’t see you there. What’s up?” Leo flashed a grin as if…whatever just happened hadn’t happened. And the worst part was that it looked real. Either Leo was super good at covering his problems by experience, or he was a super talented at acting. Something told Peter that it was the former, as unsettling as it was.
“Hey. What’s wrong?” Peter decided to just up and straight ask it. He personally didn’t want to let Leo hurt with whatever this is, and now was the perfect time to confront him without scheduling a time to do so since most all the student were in class right now. (like you should be- a voice in his head that sounded suspiciously like Mr Stark said)
He also outright asked what was wrong because the classic and overused ‘are you okay?” is so lame and the answer was so obvious.
“Nothing!” Leo replied a little-lot- to quickly.
Peter just rose a brow at that.
“Yes, nothing clearly has you in a dissociative state for nearly five minutes, not even recognizing my presence even with Ned’s constant chatter. I understand if you don’t want to talk about, or talk to me about, whatever is wrong, but please don’t outright lie!” Peter cringed as he pressed, he really didn’t like the idea of making Leo uncomfortable. Leo had every right to not tell him.
“..”
Leo sighed, and the look he had previously made a full return with vengeance. His eyes were dulled and his hands weren’t fidgeting like usual, just hanging limp by his sides. Even his eyebags seemed to be darker now that Leo let his facade fall.
“..Someone in my cabin passed on. He uh, he was super close, like a brother.”
Oh.
Ohhh. Yikes. Okay, so, Peter wasn’t exactly expecting that. (then again he wasn’t sure what he expected)
“Camp…like your summer camp you mentioned?”
Leo nodded.
“Oh, Leo, I’m so sorry” Peter shuffled closer to Leo and wrapped an arm around his much smaller frame in an awkward side hug.
“It’s k, ‘m used to it”
What? Peter thought.
“ I’m sorry, what?” Is what he said.
“hm?” Leo glanced up at Peter’s face as if he didn’t just say the most heart wrenching thing Peter has ever heard from someone younger than him.
“What exactly do you mean when you say, ‘I’m used to it’?”
Leo’s eyes flickered with an emotion Peter couldn’t decipher, along with a mumble that sounded suspiciously like a foreign language.
“Uh, nothing. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. The camp already had his funeral and he would want us to move on.”
Peter decided it was best to drop it for now.
“The camp held his funeral?” Peter was starting to get a little confused, maybe he was right and Leo did have a mystery attached to him.
“Yeah, he’s an orphan, so by legal rights the camp leader, Mr Brunner, has-had legal rights as his guardian. Including the holding of his funeral.”
“Ah” Peter was at a loss for words.
Leo nodded slightly, then shifted as he leaned a little more into Peter’s side.
Peter glanced down at the sudden change of weight, eyes widening at the fat tears running down Leo’s face.
Peter hugged Leo a little tighter, Gosh knew the kid needed a hug.
Leo twisted, now fully wrapping both his arms around Peter’s ribcage. (ouch, his ribs were still slightly sore from being run over by a literal truck)
Another thing Peter added to his mental list of ‘Strange Leo things’ was that his sobs were near silent. Leo just let the tears fall, staining his cheeks and making darkened blotches on Peter’s shirt. Leo’s face was scrunched up and his mouth opened as if he were screaming, but not a sound was heard, even to Peter’s sensitive hearing.
Peter didn’t like that much, no not much at all. Usually people who mastered the art of silent tears are the people who were punished for having said tears and needed to learn how to shed them without being wrongfully punished.
Peter sat calmly, trying his best to be calming as he rubbed circles into Leo’s back and murmured reassurances to his friend.
Some time passed, and Leo’s tears slowed in pace and he slowly pulled himself out of the hug. Bringing a hand up and rubbing at his reddened eyes, Leo shot Peter a sad smile.
“Thanks..”
“Don’t mention it” Peter gave his best smile back.
Then the gosh awful bell sang its song once again.
Hmm, looks like Leo and Peter have been here the entirety of class. Welp, Peter had no regrets, Leo needed some time and Peter wasn’t concerned about falling behind.
Standing up, Peter offered Leo a hand that he surprisingly took.
“I’m sor-“
“don’t even start to finish that sentence Leo. We’re cool, and uh, thanks for telling me you know? Glad I could help”
This time Leo’s smile reached his eyes.
“yes, thankyou….again”
Peter snorted playfully and ruffled Leo’s mop of thick curls.
Leo just pouted and playfully punched Peter’s shoulder.
“Boys? Would you like to enlighten me on your apparent decision to not join class like the rest of the students?”
Annnnd there was the teacher, great, Leo and himself were soooo cooked.
“Nah, I’m good” And there was the sassy part of Leo that Peter was missing.
Too bad it didn’t get them out of trouble, as the question the teacher asked was highly rhetorical.
“You both get detention! Now get to your next class now, or you’ll have detention for the rest of the month!
Quickly nodding, Leo gripped Peter’s arm and shuffled down the halls in a run, likely only to antagonize the teacher more as she yelled ‘NO RUNNING IN THE HALLS!’ as they took their leave.
Peter was quite certain Leo would have mentioned how ‘yelling in the halls’ was also prohibited if he had the chance to smart talk back.
Leo and Peter made it to the class door, fist bumped, then entered. Fashionably Late, one would say.
That one was clearly not the teacher behind the desk, if the scowl he gave them was any indication.
Man, Leo sure was rubbing off on him.
////
Peter is starting to think Leo might not be as normal as he thought..
-
GUYS I KNOW THIS TOOK FOREVER IM SORRYYY😭😭😭😭
The holdiays, new years, and life really had me forgetting about this for a long while, MB!
Anywizzle, Thankyou all for the comments and Kudos! they are really sweet and i love seeing them come through my email box! HAPPY MEW YEARS YALL🍋🟩
Til next chap :D
////